Checked the archives, nothing there, so...

For those of you who turn wrenches yourselves and have installed front springs on your truck, any pointers?

I'm going to go to the local parts store tomorrow and try and locate a Haynes or Chilton manual for a late model F-150. That will probably be enough to walk me through the install.

I've got some Chassis Tech lowering springs for the front and new hangers for the rear. Rear looks pretty simple, but time consuming as the rivets for the hangers have to be chisled, punched---removed.

I crawled under the front today and it appears that the shock will have to be disconnected at the bottom (didn't realize the shock ran through the springs on these things...I'm not up on truck suspensions at all) and removed, and then probably the upper arm attachment point to the spindle will have to be disconnected as well.

Any help would be appreciated. Hopefully, dropping the truck just a bit (2" front, 2" rear) won't hurt traction noticeably.

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Wes Tarbox
90 LX 5.0 (10.69 @ 134.7)--597rwhp/590rwtq
96 Cobra (12.63 @ 114.5)--392rwhp/433rwtq
99 Lightning (13.20 @ 103.3)--364rwhp/444rwtq
00 Expedition XLT 5.4
http://members.aol.com/Wa2fst/index.html

 

Hey Wes, Joel here. I saw a fairly decent rightup on this subject several months back. I think it was in some magazine that was lowering a Lightning (a friend dropped the article off on my desk and it is at home right now.) The one point that sticks with me was that cafeful support of the frame is required when the hanger rivets are removed. You might check the "suspension" forum (as opposed to Lightning only forum) for hints. I breifly went there looking for an answer to your question and there was too much for me to review on my lunch break. Good Luck!!!

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Joel.......
99.5 White Lightning,
SVT # 0056

 

wa 2 fst,
i know my truck is not a lightning but i am trying to make one, supercab of course. Well, i just want you to know that the front spring install is sooooo easy, i just installed the same springs you bought last weekend. first, jack up the front and place on stands.
second remove wheel.
third jack up lower a-arm half way so you compress the spring.
remove brake caliper and rotor.
next remove shock.
remove sway-bar attachment to a-arm.
remove lower nut of spindle, and pull spindle loose from ball joint(you will need a puller for this).
now start lowerin jack under the a-arm until a-arm just hangs and there is not tension on the spring.
just pull old spring out and install new one.
put everything back together and go to the other side. remember, you will need to align the truck immediately, it is going to be way off after you lower it. by the way, all these only took about an one hour per side, and i am not a mechanic, not even close. hope this helps.

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Black 99 xlt sc flairside,4.6 2w.d.,jardine catback,
superchip,
RS9000 shocks,
lowered 2" front and back,svt rims,265/60/18 avs yokohamas,
Ford 9mm sparkplug wires.
Snug Lid.2 KC daylighters.


FUTURE MODS: LS AND 4.10 GEARS.

 

Thanks veloci,

It's interesting b/c the way you describe to do it is a lot like the way I've done them on Mustangs. Drop the outside of the arm and then slowly release the spring. I've always secured the spring someway so that it doesn't fly out, but its still basically the same procedure.

However, the Ford truck manuals say to drop the two inside lower control arm bolts and remove it that way.

I guess either way will work. Now I just need to find some time to do the springs and the rear hangers. Can't wait to see the visual effect of the 2" drop all the way around, if nothing else.

Thx again.

------------------
Wes Tarbox
90 LX 5.0 (10.69 @ 134.7)--597rwhp/590rwtq
96 Cobra (12.63 @ 114.5)--392rwhp/433rwtq
99 Lightning (13.20 @ 103.3)--364rwhp/444rwtq
00 Expedition XLT 5.4
http://members.aol.com/Wa2fst/index.html

 

Hi Wes....

I have done a ton of Camaro's, Vettes, Chev Trucks, etc. with regards to suspension. While the cars/trucks are somewhat different, the ideas are the same. I took a look under my Bolt the other evening and it seems
fairly simple. I am not doing the more dramatic 2" lowering that you are but I am doing a 1" lowering. I just wanted to eliminate a bit of my wheelwell spacing because I still have to drive this thing up here in the winter. I got the Eibach Pro-kit springs and the AIM shackles. Since the springs are set for a 2 inch drop, this should equal 1" on the Lightning due to the truck already being 1" lower.

In essence, I really don't think that you have to remove the brake rotor/caliper. The spring should be able to come out without that being taken off. An easier way to remove the upper A-arm ball joint would be to loosen the nut several turns and use a large hammer to strike the outside of the arm. The ball joint should easily seperate and it won't pop directly out because you have the nut still on it. Banging the arm will NOT damage it at all. It's heavy steel as you noticed. I have done this method on dozens of cars/trucks without any problems whatsoever.

I will be doing mine next week. Let me know how yours turns out!

Good luck with it!

Paul G.


[This message has been edited by PBGas (edited 08-27-2000).]

 

Hey WA 2 FST,

I'm sitting here with the december 1999 issue of Truckin' which has the writeup about lowering a lightning. If you want me to fax the article to you, let me know.

W

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99 Lightning
Bedrug
LoRider Hard tonneau (w/remote unlock)
PSP filter
Bassani Full system
Superchip, PSP chip, Swanson chip
Alpine DVD, CD changer, V12 amp, 2 JL 8" subs, 6 tweet in door, JL 5x7 in rear

 

Here's a tip that will save you a little work. I lowered my F150 with springs. (Same as lightning except different springs on the L) It is by far easier to work from the top rather than the bottom A-arm. You don't need to remove the calipers. Just undo the upper A-arm bolts with the spring compressed. (Not sure about the L, but with regular F150s you need to do this anyway to replace the upper A-arm bolts with ones that allow for enough front end adjustment for alignment) Then swing the whole wheel assembly out and release pressure on the spring to remove and replace with the new one. When you do it this way the lower A-arm remains connected to the spindle, disk, and caliper so you don't have to worry about trying to hold up the caliper and stuff and pulling on your brake lines. That thing can get heavy if you are trying to hold it up to keep pressure off the brake line while replacing the coil. The put everything back. You do still have to disconned the sway bar and stuff from the lower A-arm this way, but not the lower a-arm from the frame.

I did my second one this way and it was much easier than Veloci's method which I used the first time.